New England Patriots: Selecting All-Decade team 2010-2020
By Max Bozicas
Tackles: Nate Solder, Sebastian Vollmer
Nate Solder is pretty much in by default at the left tackle spot, as he became the full-time starter at that position in 2012 and played in at least 15 games each season during his tenure with the New England Patriots other than 2015, which he missed the majority of due to a torn bicep. Aside from that, he was very reliable up until his departure after the 2017 season.
Vollmer earns the right tackle spot, having been a Second-team All-Pro in 2010 and anchoring the right side of the line until his retirement at the end of 2015.
Honorable Mentions: Trent Brown, Marcus Cannon
Guards: Logan Mankins, Shaq Mason
Logan Mankins may be the Patriot who got the shortest end of the stick in their dynastic run. He was drafted by the Patriots in 2005, the year after they won their third Super Bowl, and played for the Pats up until 2014 and was then traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mankins was one of the best guards in the league all the way up until he was dealt.
The Patriots would go on to win their fourth Super Bowl after trading Mankins prior to that season. Maybe he can find some solace in knowing that a ton of bloggers and fans think he should be on the New England Patriots All-Decade team? That’s almost as good as having a ring, right?
Mason became the starter at right guard in 2016 and has established himself as one of the best guards in the game. With a long term contract that doesn’t expire until the 2020s, Mason has a chance to make two straight All-Decade appearances.
Honorable Mentions: Joe Thuney, Dan Connolly
Center: David Andrews
I’ll start out by saying the obvious: David Andrews is really good. However, he has pretty much no competition here. Prior to Andrews’ arrival in 2015, the Patriots had gone through a bit of a revolving door at the center position.
Dan Koppen started in 2010 but missed almost all of 2011, which caused Dan Connolly to slide over from guard to play center that year. Ryan Wendell had the spot for the 2012/2013 seasons, and then finally Bryan Stork was the starter in 2014. Bleh.
It’s pretty easy to see why Andrews is the guy here. The Patriots struggled to find consistency in the middle of the line prior to signing him as an undrafted free agent. Him missing this season due to blood clots is one of the biggest reasons for the offensive struggles.
Honorable Mentions: None